SACUA elects new leadership

After 27 years of teaching at the University, astronomy Prof. Gordon MacAlpine was elected chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs yesterday. He will begin his tenure as chair May 1, replacing the current chair, Pharmacology Prof. William Ensminger.

Biology Prof. Lewis Kleinsmith assumed the role of vice chair, currently held by Barbara MacAdam, head of Library Education and Information Services.

MacAlpine said he did not plan on making any sweeping changes to the committee, praising the past work of Ensminger and other former SACUA stewards. He said he would concentrate his work in several areas, including improving SACUA's communication wi

MacAlpine

th the University community.

"I think there needs to be more communication with the faculty in general, with Senate Assembly and with the (University Board of) Regents," MacAlpine said. "We need to keep more dialogue open with them."

Social Work Prof. Sherry Kossoudji, a SACUA member, also questioned the ability of the faculty committee to communicate with the entire University, suggesting the possible implementation of monthly e-mails from SACUA to University faculty members.

MacAlpine said he also planned on addressing the changing future of tenure at the University.

"There seems to be more and more non-tenure track positions available while tenured positions seem to remain the same or even be declining," MacAlpine said. "We need to monitor this."

MacAlpine said he became a member of SACUA in 1997 because he believed the committee was a positive means of discussing undergraduate education. He said one of his primary goals as chair is to explore both the value of undergraduate education in faculty teaching and ways to facilitate this type of education.

MacAlpine said he will spend the next three months trying to get his teaching and research in order so he will be able to handle the added work of his new job in May.

"I'm going to go from being fully involved in one thing to being fully involved in another," MacAlpine said.

In addition to electing faculty members to its top two posts, SACUA representatives continued to discuss tobacco divestment at yesterday's meeting.

The committee plans on sponsoring a tobacco divestment symposium April 19 to discuss whether the University should re-invest the $25 million currently found in tobacco stocks.

Thomas Schneider, SACUA executive assistant, said the symposium will be Ensminger's last attempt to convince both University President Lee Bollinger and the University Board of Regents to divest from tobacco.

Ensminger, who hands over his title to MacAlpine on May 1, vowed that he will do anything in his power to divest from tobacco during his tenure.

Kleinsmith

02-02-99